Two LGBT books to stay on shelves at Hood County Library

By Lori Brown

Two LGBT books will stay on the shelves at the Hood County Library after a passionate, weeks-long debate that created national headlines.

More than 200 people turned out to the commission meeting Tuesday morning about the books.

The controversy began in April, when a mother saw the book "This Day in June" on a stand featuring new books.

Library director Courtney Kincaid says she then informed the mother about a book called "My Princess Boy,” which has been on the shelf for four years.

Dozens of people then signed challenger forms about the books.

Both books deal with the concept of sexual orientation. A page out of "My Princess Boy" reads, "His dad tells My Princess Boy how pretty he looks in a dress. His dad holds his hand and tells him to twirl."

"Are parents not going to be able to let their children go in and pick out a book without coming up with something that maybe they're not ready to discuss? Because that's a big deal,” said one speaker at Tuesday’s meeting. “Sexuality is a big deal to parents."

What many in the community took issue with is that “My Princess Boy” was shelved in the children’s section.

“To say you don't want the book banned but just moved is the top of that slippery slope,” said another speaker. “By moving a book, the government is making a value judgement based on one group's religious values. To ban or move the book, it may be a different book that you find sacred the next time that the Constitution is ignored.”

In recent weeks, Kincaid did move “This Day in June" to the parenting section since it had a discussion section in the back, but she held firm on leaving “My Princess Boy” in the picture book section.

"We have gays and lesbians in the community, and they have deserve to have items in the collection,” said Kincaid.

Hood County commissioners did not make any motions to move the books, saying that could open the county up to a lawsuit.